Republican Sen. Frank Simpson authored the bill, which would allow the Oklahoma Veterans Center to relocate within 40 miles of its current location to a town with at least 8,000 residents.

Simpson says the state is warehousing veterans in old facilities. He says building a new facility could range from $55 million to $65 million. The Department of Veterans Affairs would pay 65 percent of the cost.

Democrat Sen. Randy Bass says a lot of money was recently spent on improvements at the Talihina facility, including a new roof and sidewalks.